Shuttle car



' May 1, 1945.

c. E. ANDERSHOCK SHUTTLE CAR Filed Nov. 13, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l TM/vm/a 5702815 fiwiem/ma J/TroR/vE? y 1945- 0; E. AND'ERSHOCK I ,375,063

- SHUTTLE CAR Filed Nov. 13, 1943 Sheets-Shut 2 Q HHHII'H'IHHH) """uuu W .12

a. P Jfrromzr Patented o 1'. i945 U I ED STATES. TENT" OFEICEQ e s 24 3,611- I v 1 Chester E Andershock, 11L, trainer to Goodman Manufacturing Comp lll., a corporation 02 Illinois Application November s, 194:, Serial No, 510,995

12 This invention relatesjto imp-rovements in'shuttle cars adapted to transpo rt coal or other materials from the workin around.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide a shuttle car having a'movable end gate of a novel and simplified construction, cooperating with and driven along the car by the conveyer places of mines under-.-

(01. 214-33) y 1 wardly at-the receiving end reference character ii.

for the car as the loading operation progresses,

and positlvely opened by the conveyer during the discharge operation.

The device of my present invention is somewhat similar to that shown and described in an application, Serial No. 504,357; flled by William R.

Beck on September 30, 1943, now Patent No.'

dated February 27, 1945, but differs therefrom in that the end sate has interengaging connection with the 'conveyer on the'bottom of the car and is moved along the car by this conveyer as the loading operation progresses, and

also is positively opened by the conveyer as the conveyer discharges its load from the car.

Other objects-of my'invention will appear from 4 time to time as the, following specification proceeds and with, reference to the accompanying dras wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a shuttle car constructed in accordance with my invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in side elevation'oi the discharge end of the car,

50 end of ,the car. From thence .said chains and t with certain parts broken away and certain other parts shown in longitudinal sectiomin order to more clearly illustrate certain det tion of my invention;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the discharge end of the. car,.drawn to the ails of construcof the. car (not shown), to provide a widened material receiving hopper, to facilitate loading by the boom of a r loading machine which may be extended into said hopper between said, side walls. The bottom or the material carrying compartment of the car is defined by a convyer indicate dgenerally by The material carrying body :1 is sup rted on two rubber-tired drive wheels t6, it near the rear endfof the car and two rubber-tired steering wheels l1, l1 ear the front end oi the car. d .by a steering wheel 18 in an of the car to one side of the conveyer,

Th'e conveyer l5 extends for substantially thefull length of the vehicle to facilitate loading 01' the vehicle from one endlthereoi and to mechani- I cally unload'the vehicle mm the-opposite end thereof 5 Said conveyor is herein shown as being amendle'ss' flight conve'yer including a plurality of parallel spaced endless chains 20, 20 having a plurality of parallel spaced flights 2!, carried therebetween. Said endless chains and nights extend from idlers, 23 near" the receiving en of the car along a bottomplate 24, connected be tween the side walls l2, l2 and forming a bottom for the, conveyer, to and around drive sprockets 26, '25 on a transverse shaft 28 at'the discharge flights extend along the upper side 01 a bottom plate 21 forming a bottom for the body 01' the car. to and around the idlers 23, 23.

The drive shaft 26 and 'con'veyer ii are suitably driven ,by an electric motors, herein shown as same scale as Figure 2 and showing the end gate m a, diflierent position than in Figures;

Figure 4is' an end view of the car with certain parts brokenaway and certain other parts shown in transverse section," in order to more clearly show certain details or the movable end gate: and

Figure 51s an enlarged fragmentary isometric view of the movable end gate. with certain parts broken away so as to more clearly illustrate the details thereof. 7

Reterringnowto the details of the embodb being mounted on the outer side. of the righthand'side wall I: of the vehicle. Said drive motor is suitably" connected to said drive shaft "throughfl', worm and worm gear reductionin a casing indicated generally at 30, and a chain and ment of my invention illustrated in the drawings,-

a coal haulage vehicle or shuttle car is indicated generally at It. Said vehicle consists of anelongated material carrying body ll including a -pair of vertically disposed laterally spaced side walls i2, i2 extending the full lengthoi the vehicle and forming the side walls of a coal carrying compartment of the car. Said side walls flared out- 'to the tops of the side ate a is moimtedlbetween the side want '2, l2

of-the car, for movement therealong from an ill-v termediate part or the car. to the discharge-end: there'o gate serves to hold materialpiled the 1 1; won foil the carfland to advance this'material towards the receiving end of the car-as the loadinsoperation pr, so. the car may be iully loaded to its discharge end by the loadin boom ofa loading extend, insinto 'ot It also drive 3|, driven-bythe worm gear of said i, during the loading operation. Said serves to prevent material from spilling from the car during travel of the car-to its discharge station.

The movable end gate 33, as herein shown, includes a front plate member 38 suitably reinforced by vertically extending ribs 35, and a, stiffening strip 36, extending along the upper side thereof; Side plates 37, 37 extend rearwardly from opposite sides of said plate member. The upper marsins of said side plates are disposed above the top of said plate member, to permit said front plate member to be advanced beyond the discharge and of the conveyer, during the dischargingoperation, as will hereinafter be more clearly described as this specification proceeds. Each of said side plates is herein shown as being reinforced by a bar 39 secured to the inner side of said side plate, as by welding, and extending along the upper side thereof, above the top of said plate member 3 3.

The end gate 33 and side plates 37', 3? are guided adjacent their upper ends in channelled guide iii], 30. Said guides slidably engage the upper sides of said side plates and bars 39, 39 and serve to guide and hold said end gate in a closed position. Said guides are formed by angles ii, iii secured to the upper edges or the side walls 12, 12' and extending inwardly therefrom, the outer legs of which angles slidably engage the inner sides of said bars.

The rear portions of the side frame members 3?, 3? are of an arcuate formation and serve as rockers i3, 33, when said end gate is pivoted to an open position. Gear segments i l,- l l are secured to the lower ends of said rockers, and depend therefrom and mesh with the endless chains 2B, 2%] of the conveyor i5. Said conveyor chains and the side plates 3'1, 37 engaging the channelled guides it, :19, thus serve to hold said end gate in a closed position and move said end gate along the vehicle body. A bearing shoe id is secured to the lower forward portion of each side plate 3? adjacent the plate member 34 and forwardly of the gear segment t l. Said bearing shoes are adapted to rest on the upper surfaces of the endless chains 2t, 20, and form a support for said end gate on said chains.

ure 1). This is effected by moving the oonveyer towards the rear of the car. The receiving end of the car may then be fully loaded to the tops of the side walls of the car up to said end gate by the loading boom of a loading machine, and the material in the car loaded to the tops of said side walls may be advanced with said end gate by moving the conveyor towards the discharge end of the car, step by step. When said end gate has reached the discharge end oi the car, the conveyor 55 is stopped and the car is ready to travel to its discharge station, the guides ll], at engaging t e side plates 3?, 3i and the gear segments ii fill meshing with said conveyer chains, holding said and gate in a closed position.

During the discharge operation, the conveyor is started in a direction to discharge material from the dischargeend thereof. This will move the end gate beyond the discharge end of the car and will move the forward portions of said side plates out of e agement with the guides ii),

ill). It will also engage the pins 39, :39 with the arcuate rear end walls of the slotted guides il,

A slotted guide 8?, opentowar'ds the front of Y said movable end gate, is provided in each side plate 3? and bar 39,. above the top of the plate member 36. Said slotted guides extend longitudinally along said side plates for a portion of the length thereof and their rear ends terminate into arcuate end walls til, #333. Each of said guides is adapted to slidably engage a pin 39, secured to and extending inwardly from a side wall i2 adja- (see Figure 3), and permit the discharge of finematerial and small lumps from the discharge end or the conveyor. Further movement of the conveyer will cause the gear segments til, id, meshing with the conveyor chains 28, 29, to pivot said end gate in an upward direction about the axis of the pins id, 19 until the teeth of the gear segments dd, 65 are out of mesh with said conveyor chains. This will fully open said end gate, to permit material to be discharged'from the discharge end oi the car, the traveling conveyer and material discharging from the dis-,''

charge end-of the car holding said end gate in an open position until the car has been fully unloaded. When the car has been fully unloaded and the conveyer is stopped, the end gate will drop to the closed position shown in Figure 3. The oonveyer may then be moved in a reverse direction towards the receiving end of the car, to return said end gate to an intermediate position with respect to the car, in position for another loading cycle.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which my invention may be embodied, it will be understood that the construction thereof and the arrangement of the various parts may be altered without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Furthermore, I do not wish to cent the discharge end of the car during movetion means forsaid movable end gate, so that when said end walls are engaged with said pins by movement of the conveyor chains 20, -29 towards the discharge end of the car, said conveyor chains will pivot said end gate in an upward div rection about said pins, as shown by broken lines in Figure 3, to open said end gate.

Dilrlng operation of V the machine the movable end gate-33 may first be moved to an intermediate position with respect .to the length of the car, into engagement with stops 5!, 5i at the rear end of the channelled guides 40, (see Figbe limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a vehicle for transporting loose material in mines underground. awheel mounted material carrying body open at One end and having a pair of laterally spaced side walls forming a material carrying compartment, an endless conveyer forming a bottom for said compartment,

and a movable end gate mounted between said side walls and guided for slidable movement therealong, said end gate being slidably guided said end .gate to the tops of said side walls will be advanced to the discharge and of the vehicle. by advancing said conveyor to the dischargeendof said l ltocausesaid conveyertofully" carrying body open at one end and having a pair of laterally spaced sidewalls forming a material carrying-compartment, an endless conveyer forming a bottom for said compartment, and a movable end gate mounted between said side walls and guided for slidable movement therealong adjacent its upper end, said .end gate being supported on and having interengagin connection with said conveyer at its lower end, so said conveyer will move said end gate along said body during the loading operation, so material piled up on said conveyer against said end gate to the tops of said side walls will be advanced to the discharge end of the vehicle, by advancing said conveyer'to the discharge end of 'said vehicle, to cause said conveyer to fully load said'vehicle up to said end" gate, by the discharge of material in the receiving end thereof, and by movement of said conveyer along the vehicle, and abutment means on said body adjacent the discharge end .thereof, adapted to engage said end gate and form a pivotal reaction means therefor, to cause said conveyerto pivotally move said end gate upwardly aboutsaid abutment means to an open position through said inter-engaging connection, for discharging material from the end of said vehicle.

3. In a vehicle for transporting loose material in mines underground, 9, wheel mounted material carrying body'open at one end and having a pair of laterally spaced side walls forming a material carrying compartment, an endless conveyer forming a bottom for said compartment, and

.a movable end gate for said compartment, guided adjacent its upper end for movement therealong from an intermediate position'on said compart-' mentto the discharge end thereof during the loading operation, said end gate restingon and having interengaging connection with said conveyer at its lower end. and said conveyer being adapted to movesaid and gate along said frame between said side walls, and to hold said and gate from movement to, an open position when the conveyer is stopped, and abutment means adjacent the discharge end of said body, adapted to befengaged by said end gate and form a pivotal abutment therefor, to cause said end gate to be pivoted to an open position about said abutment means, by movement of said ,conveyer to discharge; ijnaterial from its discharge end. V

4. In a vehicle fortransporting loose material in'mines underground, a wheel mounted material carrying body open at one end and having a pair of laterally spaced side walls'forming a ma-' terial carrying compartment, an endless chain and flight conveyer forming ,a bottom for said compartment, an end gate for said compartment, said end gate being-guided for slidable move ment between said side walls and having a pair of spaced gear segments extending parallel to said side walls and resting on and having interengaging connection with the chains of said conveyer, so said conveyer will move said end gate rearwardly along said body, to an intermediate position'with respect thereto, to place said end. gate in positionfor the loading operation, and

will advancesaid end gate towards the discharge end of said vehicle during the loading opera- 8. In a vehicle for transporting loose material in mines underground, a wheel mounted material tion.

5. In a vehicle for transporting loose material in mine underground, a wheel mounted material carrying body open at one end and having a pair of laterally spaced side walls forming a ma- 19 ing side plates extending rearwardly from opposite sides thereof along the insides of said side walls, guide means extending along the upper sides of said side walls and forming slidable guides for said side plates, and means on said side plates 18 resting on and having interengaging connection with the chains of said conveyer, to cause said conveyer to move said end gate along said body 1 between said side walls.

6. In a vehicle for transporting loose material 20 in mines underground, 9. wheel mounted material carrying body open at one end and having a pair of laterally spaced sidewalls forming a material carrying compartment, an endless chain and flight conveyer forming a bottom for said com-, 28 partment, an end gate for said frame, said end gate including a plate member extending transversely between said side walls and having side plates extending rearwardly from opposite sides 'thereofalong the insides of aid sidewalls, guide a means extending along the upper sides of said side walls havingguiding engagement with said side plates and forming slidable guides therefor. abutment means on said side wall adapted to engage said side plates and form ,a pivotal reac- 36 tion means for said and gate, and means on said side plates having interengagi ng connection with the chains of said conveyer, so movementof said conveyer will move said end gate along thebody of said vehicle into engagement with said abut- .40 ment means, and further movement, of said-donveyer will pivotally move said end gate aboutsaid abutment means, to an open ;position..

,7. In a vehicle for transporting loose material a in mines underground, a wheel mounted material a carrying body open at one end and having a pair of laterally spaced side walls forming a material carrying compartment, an endless chain and flight conveyer forming a bottom for said com-'- partinent, an end gate for said frame, said end gate including a plate member extending transq/erselybetween said side walls and havin side plates extending re'arwardly from opposite sides" thereof along th insides of said side walls, guide means extending along the upper sides of said side walls having guiding engagement with, said side plates and iorming slidableguides therefor,

- said side plates having interengaging connection.

withthe chains of said conveyer so said conveyer will move said endgate along said vehicle body, abutment means on said side walls, djacent the discharge end 0! said vehicle, and s d side plates each having a longitudinally extending slotted guide formed therein adapted to'slidably engage, a said abutment-meansand guide said end gate for movement beyond the discharge end of said conveyer, and each of said guides having a closed inner portion adapted to engage said abutment means and limitforward movement of said end 70 gate and form a' pivotal reaction means for said end gate at the discharge end 01' said vehicle, so said conveyer chains engaging said side plates may pivotally move said endgate toanfi, open position.

carrying body open at one end and having a pair of laterally spaced side walls forming a material carrying compartment, a conveyer forming a bottom for said compartment and including a pair of parallel spaced endless chains having flights carried therebetween, an end gate for said frame, said end gate including a plate member extending transversely between said side walls and having side plates extending rearwardly from opposite sides thereof along the insides of said side wall, guide means extending along said side walls and having guiding engagement with the upper sides of said side plates,"to form a guide for said side plates and end gate, and to hold said end gate from-moving to an open position; and said side plates being adapted to have interengaging engagement with said conveyer chains, so said conveyer chains .will move said end gate along said guidesbetween said 'side walls of said conveyer.

9. In a vehicle for transporting loose material in mines underground, a wheel mounted material upon operation carrying body open'at one end and having a pair of laterally spaced side walls forming a material carrying compartment, a conveyer forming a bottom for said compartment and including a pair of parallel spaced endless chains having flights carried therebetween, an end gate for said frame, said end gate including a plate member extending transveisely' between said side walls and having side plate extending rearwardly from opposite sides thereof along the insides of said side walls,

,guide means extending along the upper sides of said side walls and having guiding engagementwith the upper sides of said side plates, to form a guide means. for said side plates and end gate, and to hold said end gat from moving to an open position, and said'side plates each having a gear segment meshing with certain links of said conveyer chains, so said conveyerchains will move said end gate between said side walls upon operation of th conveyer.

10. In a vehicle for transporting loose material in mines underground, a wheel mounted material carrying body open at 'oneend and having a pair of laterally spaced side walls forming a material carrying compartment, 8. conveyer forming a bottom for'said compartment and including apair of parallel spaced endless chains having flights carried therebetween, an end gate forsaid frame, said end gate including a front plate member extending transversely, between said side walls and having side plates extending rearwardly from opposite sides thereof along the insides of said side walls, guide means having guiding engagement with the upper sides of said side plates, to form a guide for said side plates and end gate, and to hold said and gate from moving to an open position, and said side plates each having a gear segment meshing withcerconveyer chains to pivot said end gate upwardly about said abutment means to an open position.

11. In a; vehicle for transportingloose material in mines underground, a, wheel mounted material carrying bodyopen at one end and having a pair of laterally spaced side walls forming a material carrying compartment, a conveyer forming a tain links of said conveyer chains,'so said con- 'veyer chains will move said end gate'between said side walls upon operation of the conveyer,

'and. abutment means engaging said side plates and guiding said front plate member for movement beyond the discharge end of said conveyer to disengage the front portions of said plates from said guid means, and forming a pivotal reaction means for said side plates, causing said bottom for said compartment and includingja pair of' parallel-spaced endless chains having flights carried therebetween, an end gate for said frame, said end gate including a front plate member extending'transversely between said side walls and having side plates extending rearwardly from opposite sides thereof, along the insides of said side walls, guide means having slidable engagement with the upper sides of said side plates, said side plates each having a gear segment meshing with certain of the links of said conveyer chains, and said side plates each having a slotted guide extending longitudinally therealong from the forward end thereof, abutment means at the forward end of said body, adapted -to be slidably engaged by said guides, a d said .slotted guides each having a closed inner? ortion adapted to engage said abutment means and limit forward movement of said end gate'along/ said body and form a pivotal reaction means for said end gate at the discharge end of said body, so said conveyer chainsmay pivotally' move said end gate about said abutment means to an open position upon operation thereof in a direction to discharge material from said vehicle. 12. In a vehicle for transporting loose material in mines underground, a wheel mounted material carrying body open at one end and having a pair having guiding engagement with the upper sides ofsaid side plates, to form a guide for said side plates and to hold said end gatefrom moving to i an open position, and said; sid plateseach having a gear' segment meshing with certain links of said conveyer chains, so said conveyer chains will move said end gate between said side walls upon operation thereof, abutment means adapted tolimit forward movement of said end gate, and said side plates each having a slotted guide open to the forward end thereof and extending longitudinally' therealong and adapted to slidably en-' gage said abutment means, so said abutment means may support said end gate for movement beyond the discharge end of said conveyer to disengage the front portions of said sideplates from said guid means, and each of said slotted guides having a closed inner portion adapted to engage said abutment means and form apivotal reaction means for said end gate, to cause said conveyer chains to pivotally move said end gate about said abutment means to an open position.

CHESTER E. 

